Program Requirements

Students are required to take a minimum of sixty-nine credits in total.

At JTS, twenty-four credits are taken to which six credits are transferred from Columbia University's School of Social Work. In order to fulfill The Graduate School and program requirements a student may need to take additional Judaica and Hebrew language courses prior to graduation.

At CUSSW, a minimum of forty-five credits must be completed depending on the method of concentration to which a maximum of fifteen credits are transferred from JTS. Field work is an integral part of the total educational experience at CUSSW providing students opportunities to use the theoretical content learned in courses.

Course Requirements

Additional requirements for graduation

All students in The Graduate School are required to demonstrate a basic level of Judaica competency in addition to the courses they take towards their master's degree. In their first year all students must complete a two-semester course, Classics of the Jewish Tradition, or demonstrate proficiency. Students who have not studied the Hebrew Bible or Talmud with a scholarly approach and who have not yet acquired proficiency in Hebrew at an intermediate level will be required to fulfill these requirements before graduation according to Graduate School procedures. Students in the dual-degree program must also fulfill a liturgy requirement or demonstrate proficiency.

The social work program at CUSSW provides an integrated course of study which offers a combined approach of classroom and field instruction. Depending on their particular interests, students are admitted into one of four different method areas. Depending on the area of concentration, students must complete a minimum of forty-five credits.

In order to meet the requirements of any of these method areas, students must take the practice courses in the core sequence, four terms of field work, and the required background courses. Jewish studies and social work students are exempt from taking T660A-Human Behavior and Social Environment and the second-year field-practice core-course requirements.

Methods of concentration

• Social Enterprise Administration: Emphasizes building knowledge, skills, and values in administering programs
• Advanced Generalist Practice and Programming: Emphasizes direct practice; community practice; movement from case to cause; development of innovative and responsive social programs and program resources
• Policy Practice: Emphasizes policy analysis and advocacy
• Advanced Clinical Social Work Practice: Emphasizes assessment, intervention, and evaluation within a field of practice

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Program Highlights

Social Work Seminar
Every other week students participate in a seminar which focuses on aspects of their work in the Jewish community and synthesizes what they are learning at JTS and CUSSW. Speakers and case presentations bring ideas, ethics, and social responsibility to life. Students participate in planning the topics and themes for the seminar.

Israel Seminar
This seminar, which takes place in Israel, focuses on the complexity of social, religious, political, and economic issues in Israeli society; the changing relationship between Israel and world Jewry; and the challenges North American Jewish communal professionals face in interpreting and integrating Israel into their work. This seminar is not conducted every year.

Retreats
Retreats are held out of the city, usually in a camp setting. They provide time in a relaxed setting for reflection on an issue of special interest to students; for putting into practice some of the skills that have been learned, and for community building. Students design and lead retreats in consultation with the program adviser. Retreats are usually held biannually.

Ramah Internship in Social Work and Informal Education
Through the Ramah internship, students experience the unique program and environment of the Ramah camps, and reflect upon their meaning for the Jewish community at large and their own training and experience. The Ramah internship is open to students who have completed at least one year in the program. Students may participate in the internship for course credit. There is no tuition charge for the course and students receive a modest stipend. Participants may choose a larger stipend in lieu of course credit.

Site Visits to Jewish Communal Agencies
With its location in New York City, the program takes advantage of the rich resources of its vibrant Jewish communal network of agencies through biannual site visits to national and international agencies. Students have the opportunity to meet with the key professionals of these agencies to explore the most current issues facing the Jewish community and their organizations. Essential to the success of these visits is student input into the selection of the agencies and the themes to be explored.

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Length of Study

The program can be completed in as little as two years and no summers or any combination up to three years. The length of time depends on the student's requirements at JTS and method of concentration at CUSSW.